Anticipatory presentation of travel information

• US 20080167887A1
• Filed: 01/05/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Marcken, Carl De
• Application Number:
  US11/650,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20080167887A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/14 Travel agencies

Abstract

Systems and techniques for presenting travel information to a user are described. One or more parameters of a travel query of likely interest to the user are predicted by evaluating information associated with the user. A cache including predetermined cached travel options is accessed to provide a set of travel options from the predetermined cached travel options that satisfy the travel query of likely interest to the user. The travel options are returned to the user.

Claims

1. A method for presenting travel information to a user, the method comprising:

predicting one or more parameters of a travel query of likely interest to the user, by evaluating information associated with the user;

accessing a cache comprising predetermined cached travel options, to provide a set of travel options from the predetermined cached travel options that satisfy the travel query of likely interest to the user; and

returning the travel options to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting a travel query to the user prior to the user requesting travel planning information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the user to edit the query after returning the cached travel options.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein predicting one or more parameters comprises using historical information associated with previous queries submitted by the user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein using historical information comprises presenting, to the user, a list of prior query parameters from which the user may select and edit.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein predicting one or more parameters comprises selecting the one or more default parameters that reflect general popularity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein predicting one or more parameters comprises selecting the one or more default parameters related to an advertisement campaign.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein predicting one or more parameters comprises selecting the one or more default parameters based on relative prices associated with the cached travel options.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters comprise one or more of:

an origin location, a destination location, a departure date, a return date, an origin airport, and a destination airport.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the travel options comprise pricing solutions that are available for purchase at the time they are presented to the user.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining identification information of the user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the identification information comprises location identification information sufficient to determine a geographic location of the user.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the location identification information comprises an internet protocol (IP) address.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the travel query is populated with a variable parameter including one of an outbound city, a destination city, an outbound airport, and a destination airport.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein predicting one or more parameters is determined in response to the user accessing a web page that is associated with a party, and the predetermined travel parameters comprise a departure date corresponding to a start of an event to be hosted by the party that is associated with the web page, a return date corresponding to an end date of the event, and a destination airport corresponding to an airport nearest to a geographic location of the event, and wherein the variable parameter comprises an origin airport corresponding to an airport nearest to a geographic location of the user.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein presenting the cached travel options comprises displaying an advertisement comprising the cached travel options, wherein the advertisement is affiliated with an enterprise paying the party associated with the web page for permitting the inclusion of a code that enables display of the advertisement.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the predetermined travel parameters comprise a destination airport corresponding to an airport nearest to a lodging establishment, and wherein the variable parameter comprises an origin airport corresponding to an airport nearest to a geographic location of the user.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing an interface application to the party hosting the web page, the interface application including tools that enable the party to customize features of the interface application; and

wherein the travel options returned to the user are displayed by the interface application.

19. A system for presenting travel information to a user, the system comprising:

a cache storing predetermined cached travel options; and

a processor configured to;

predict one or more parameters of a travel query of likely interest to the user, by evaluating information associated with the user;

access the cache to provide a set of travel options from the predetermined cached travel options that satisfy the travel query of likely interest to the user; and

return the travel options to the user.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to present a travel query to the user prior to the user requesting travel planning information.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to enable the user to edit the query after returning the cached travel options.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to use historical information associated with previous queries submitted by the user.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to present, to the user, a list of prior query parameters from which the user may select and edit.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to select the one or more default parameters that reflect general popularity.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to select the one or more default parameters related to an advertisement campaign.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to select the one or more default parameters based on relative prices associated with the cached travel options.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein the one or more parameters comprise one or more of:

an origin location, a destination location, a departure date, a return date, an origin airport, and a destination airport.

28. The system of claim 19, wherein the travel options comprise pricing solutions that are available for purchase at the time they are presented to the user.

29. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to determine identification information of the user.

30. The system of claim 19, wherein the identification information comprises location identification information sufficient to determine a geographic location of the user.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the location identification information comprises an internet protocol (IP) address.

32. The system of claim 19, wherein the travel query is populated with a variable parameter including one of an outbound city, a destination city, an outbound airport, and a destination airport.

33. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is further configured to predict one or more parameters in response to the user accessing a web page that is associated with a party, and the predetermined travel parameters comprise a departure date corresponding to a start of an event to be hosted by the party that is associated with the web page, a return date corresponding to an end date of the event, and a destination airport corresponding to an airport nearest to a geographic location of the event, and wherein the variable parameter comprises an origin airport corresponding to an airport nearest to a geographic location of the user.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the processor is further configured to display an advertisement comprising the cached travel options, wherein the advertisement is affiliated with an enterprise paying the party associated with the web page for permitting the inclusion of a code that enables display of the advertisement.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the predetermined travel parameters comprise a destination airport corresponding to an airport nearest to a lodging establishment, and wherein the variable parameter comprises an origin airport corresponding to an airport nearest to a geographic location of the user.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the processor is further configured to provide an interface application to the party hosting the web page, the interface application including tools that enable the party to customize features of the interface application;

and wherein the travel options returned to the user are displayed by the interface application.

37. A computer program product for presenting travel information to a user, the computer program product being tangibly stored on machine readable media, comprising instructions operable to cause one or more processors to:

predict one or more parameters of a travel query of likely interest to the user, by evaluating information associated with the user;

access a cache comprising predetermined cached travel options, to provide a set of travel options from the predetermined cached travel options that satisfy the travel query of likely interest to the user; and

return the travel options to the user.

38. The product of claim 37, further comprising instructions to present a travel query to the user prior to the user requesting travel planning information.

39. The product of claim 37, further comprising instructions to enable the user to edit the query after returning the cached travel options.

40. The product of claim 37, further comprising instructions to predict the one or more parameters by using historical information associated with previous queries submitted by the user.

41. The product of claim 40, further comprising instructions to present, to the user, a list of prior query parameters from which the user may select and edit.

42. The product of claim 37, further comprising instructions to predict the one or more parameters by selecting one or more default parameters that reflect general popularity.

43. The product of claim 37, further comprising instructions to predict the one or more parameters by selecting one or more default parameters related to an advertisement campaign.

44. The product of claim 37, further comprising instructions to predict the one or more parameters by selecting one or more default parameters based on relative prices associated with the cached travel options.

45. The product of claim 37, wherein the one or more parameters comprise one or more of:

an origin location, a destination location, a departure date, a return date, an origin airport, and a destination airport.

46. The product of claim 37, wherein the travel options comprise pricing solutions that are available for purchase at the time they are presented to the user.

47. The product of claim 37, further comprising instructions to determine identification information of the user.

48. The product of claim 47, wherein the identification information comprises location identification information sufficient to determine a geographic location of the user.

49. The product of claim 37, wherein the location identification information comprises an internet protocol (IP) address.

50. The product of claim 37, further comprising instructions to populate the travel query with a variable parameter including one of an outbound city, a destination city, an outbound airport, and a destination airport.

51. The product of claim 37, further comprising instructions to predict the one or more parameters in response to the user accessing a web page that is associated with a party;

and wherein the predetermined travel parameters comprise a departure date corresponding to a start of an event to be hosted by the party that is associated with the web page, a return date corresponding to an end date of the event, and a destination airport corresponding to an airport nearest to a geographic location of the event, and wherein the variable parameter comprises an origin airport corresponding to an airport nearest to a geographic location of the user.

52. The product of claim 51, further comprising instructions to display an advertisement comprising the cached travel options, wherein the advertisement is affiliated with an enterprise paying the party associated with the web page for permitting the inclusion of a code that enables display of the advertisement.

53. The product of claim 51, wherein the predetermined travel parameters comprise a destination airport corresponding to an airport nearest to a lodging establishment, and wherein the variable parameter comprises an origin airport corresponding to an airport nearest to a geographic location of the user.

54. The product of claim 51, further comprising instructions to providing an interface application to the party hosting the web page, the interface application including tools that enable the party to customize features of the interface application;

and wherein the travel options returned to the user are displayed by the interface application.